Crime Punishment and Justice: Selected Articles from a Scholarly Career

By Ulla V. Bondeson
Copenhagen, Denmark: DJØF Publishing, 2007

Crime, Punishment and Justice:  Selected Articles from a Scholarly Career by Dr. Ulla V. Bondeson offers the reader exposure to twelve selected writings which represent the life, evolution, cumulative-knowledge, philosophy, and research, of a veteran international scholar.  The importance of the topics examined and their historical significance (spanning 1968 to 2006) need not be argued.  The concepts of crime causation, truth, justice, and justifications for punishment, are not only international issues, but universal ones.  

It is difficult, if not impossible, to do justice to Dr. Bondeson’s career and impact upon the field of international criminology in this type of review.  Since 1980, she has served as the Chair of Criminology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.  Prior to this, she was a Professor of Sociology and Chair Sociology of Law at Lund University, Sweden.  During her career, she has received numerous awards and has had an extensive publication history.

The first piece, Argot Knowledge as an Indicator of Criminal Socialization: A Study of a Training School for Girls (article 1968, reprint 2005), offers an interesting early examination of the impact that a juvenile’s evolving vernacular can have upon their recidivism.  Variations in the Choice of Sanction and Sentencing Tariffs, Regional Differences between County Courts and Appeal Court Districts in Sweden  (article 1992), offers an examination of sentencing disparity issues that face Scandinavia as compared to Europe and the United States. 

The third piece, Criminal Careers in Correction. A Comparative Study of Correctional Institutions in Sweden (paper 1998), discusses the evolution of prisonization theory in Sweden with a comparison of resulting recidivism rates.  Victim Costs and Consequences: A Revised Look (lecture 1996), is an overview of the many issues encountered when examining the true costs of crime upon society.

The middle pieces, Reflections on the Interplay between Criminological Research and Criminal Policy  (article 1998, reprint 2005), Economic Criminality, The Swedish Case - a Story of Limited Success  (article 1998), and Global Trends in Corrections  (paper 1998), offer a comprehensive overview of major issues related to the effectiveness of criminal justice policy in Scandinavia.

The final pieces, Perceptions of Criminal Justice Policy in Scandinavia  (paper 1999), Philosophical and Public Conceptions of Social and Legal Justice  (article 2003), Levels of Punitiveness in Scandinavia: Description and Explanations  (chapter 2005), and, Negative Individual Prevention  (paper 2005), offer the reader interesting comparisons of various perceptions related to punitive measures, their purposes, and their desired deterrent effects.

The last piece, The Paradox of Increasing Rates of Imprisonment (paper 2006), is a capstone piece to this collection.  It asks questions which all nations will have to answer as incarceration rates continue to rise.

The only weakness that might draw the attention of some readers is a lack of editorial pre or post discussion of the pieces.  Each piece stands alone, but slight editorial guidance would help the reader understand the proper context of a piece.  The major strength of the book is also one of its weaknesses.  Each piece has the strength to stand alone; therefore it serves those who wish to digest these pieces as needed based upon their interests or research.  As a reference work, it can serve researchers by offering comprehensive and complete writings based on a single topic.